Ireland's 'Gathering' reels in tourists

Tags

The Gathering, a year-long tourism campaign to shrug off Ireland's economic doom and gloom and convince the estimated 70 million who claim Irish ancestry to return to the Auld Sod for bit of frivolity, seems to be paying off.

North American visits to the Emerald Isle jumped 17 percent the first three months of 2013, which is the best performance since 2004, reports Reuters.

"There's clear evidence that The Gathering has been very effective in North America, in the U.S. in particular," said Eamon McKeon, chief executive of the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation.

"It has absolutely hit the spot and differentiates us from other European destinations. The Gathering was definitely a conduit that helped grow air capacity and is helping consumers make the decision: 'Yeah, let's do Ireland'."

The 1.25 million people who visited between January and March was the highest number of first-quarter trips to Ireland since 2009, Reuters adds, but still lags behind the 1.55 million who arrived during the first three months of 2008, just before the collapse of Ireland's roaring "Celtic Tiger" economy.

Among the special events planned for 2013 is Galway's "Tribal Shuck Off." Held in late September as part of the town's annual seafood fest, the competition is open to non-residents with a link to the 14 tribes, or families, that fueled Galway's prosperity from the mid-13th century to the 19th century. Familiarity with sharp knives is a plus, as entrants should be able to open at least 15 oysters within two minutes.

Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/ZpWb4L

USA NOW

Prosecution rests in Boston bomber trial

Mar 31, 2015

Ready for your dream vacation?

Save time. Get connected for FREE to travel specialists. The journey starts right here at tripology.com